Curtain side airbag systems are commonly known and used. Curtain side airbags may be positioned in various locations within the passenger compartment of a vehicle. For instance it is known to place a curtain side airbag in the headliner of a vehicle so as to protect the head of the occupant during an accident. The curtain side airbag displaces a portion of the headliner or trim panel and deploys into the vehicle passenger area to protect the head of the passenger.
It is commonly known to mount trim components, such as a vent assembly, onto a trim panel, such as a headliner. A vent assembly typically consists of a trim component and a fin subassembly. The fin subassembly typically encompasses a plurality of fins and an actuator operatively configured to connect the plurality of fins. A vent assembly may remain in communication with an air duct. Such air ducts normally provide heated or cooled air from an HVAC unit located elsewhere in the vehicle. The vent assemblies are often fully adjustable allowing a passenger to freely manipulate the vent assembly. The vent assembles are normally able to rotate, open and close according to passenger preference.
However, the vent assembly can become detached from the headliner during curtain side airbag deployment. Oftentimes, only the fin subassembly becomes detached during curtain side airbag deployment. As the curtain side airbag quickly deploys and forces through the vehicle headliner, the vent assembly, or fin subassembly, can be forcibly detached from the headliner at a high rate of speed. The flying vent assembly poses serious safety risks to the vehicle passengers. Accordingly, it is known to tether the vent assembly to the vehicle body structure so as to retain the vent assembly to the trim panel or headliner. Essentially, the vent assembly is anchored to the vehicle body structure so as to prevent the vent assembly from disconnecting from the trim panel.
However, there are circumstances where simply tethering the vent assembly to the vehicle body structure will not prevent the entire vent assembly from detaching from the trim panel. It is common for vent assemblies to contain a fin subassembly comprised of a plurality of fins and an actuator. The fins direct the flow of air while the actuator allows for simultaneous movement of the plurality of fins. This fin subassembly often becomes forcibly detached from the vent assembly as a whole. If unsecured, the fin subassembly could become detached from the vent assembly during curtain side airbag deployment.
However, using a tether or cord to secure the fin subassembly is not always feasible. It is known in the art to allow a fin subassembly to rotate within its housing to allow a passenger to direct airflow according to his or her preference. If a cord or tether is attached to a fin subassembly, it may become tangled or twisted from passenger manipulation. Accordingly, the vent subassembly must be attached to the whole vent assembly and the trim panel or headliner by a manner other than a cord or tether.
Additionally, the implementation of a cord or tether to retain a fin subassembly, or vent assembly as a whole, would be required to attach to a vehicle body. A tether or cord would necessarily require a hole or gap in the air duct in order to reach the vehicle body. A compulsory hole or gap in the air duct reduces HVAC efficiency. Accordingly, the vent subassembly must be attached to the whole vent assembly and the headliner by a manner other than a cord or tether.
Accordingly, it is desirable to have a vent subassembly having a retainer apparatus mounted on the fin subassembly that retains the fin subassembly to a headliner during curtain side airbag deployment.